Innsbruck first league leader after clear derby win

The win2day ICE Hockey League was successfully opened on Friday. Last season's surprise team - HC TIWAG Innsbruck - is the first league leader despite their difficult opening opponent - it was against runner-up HCB Südtirol Alperia. In the duel of the two CHL participants of the win2day ICE Hockey League, the hosts of the Tyrolean derby in Innsbruck took control from the start. Corey Mackin provided the first goal of the new win2day ICE Hockey League season, putting his team ahead just over 100 seconds after faceoff. The Sharks - who finished the Regular Season in third place in the standings last season - pulled away to a 3-0 lead in the second period. The 21-year-old talent Senna Peeters provided the preliminary decision at the beginning of the final period with his second goal of the evening. Innsbruck finally prevailed 5:1 and can be happy about their first lead in the standings. After the bitter defeat, the Foxes will be challenged again tomorrow against Hydro Fehérvár AV 19.

Clear success for reigning champions in PULS 24 live game
EC Red Bull Salzburg celebrated a clear 4:1 success over EC-KAC in the first PULS 24 live match of the new season. The top game of the round, was initially a bit of a wait- the faceoff of the match was followed by a 30-minute delay due to travel difficulties on the part of the Klagenfurt team. The first goal of the reigning champions under neo-head coach Oliver David was scored by the fourth line - completed by 22-year-old talent Tim Harnisch - in the 14th minute. Also in the second period the record champion presented itself clearly more cold-blooded and increased to 3:0. Ex-Salzburg Crack Johannes Bischofberger shortened in the final period still to 1:3, but he missed a little later the chance to score the connecting goal by Penaltyshot. An empty netter by Salzburg then ensured the result of 4:1 for Salzburg, who are in second place behind the Innsbruck Sharks after the opener.

Vienna and Linz fight their way to opening victories
The spusu Vienna Capitals managed a 3:2 win over the Moser Medical Graz99ers to start the season. The scoring was initially opened by the Grazers, who took the lead through Sam Antonitsch in the fifth minute. Zintis Zusevics of all people - the forward played for the Styrians for many years before this season - equalized a little later. After that, Vienna's newcomer Trevor Cheek took the reins and gave the Viennese a 3:1 lead with a shorthander in the second period and another goal in the final period. The Styrians got back into the game just under a minute before the end with a combination between Austrians Patrik Kittinger and Michael Schiechl that was worth seeing. The Caps managed to hold on to the narrow lead.

Steinbach Black Wings Linz fought their way to a 3:2 overtime win over HK SZ Olimpija in their season premiere. After a goalless first period, the Slovenians played an open battle in which the Upper Austrians went ahead, but the Dragons always had the right answer - until overtime. There, the experienced captain Brian Lebler ensured the decision after only 35 seconds.

Sovereign season premieres for Fehérvár and Pustertal
Hydro Fehérvár AV 19 managed a commanding 3-0 win against HC Pustertal in their season opener. Olivier Roy and the Hungarian representative of the win2day ICE Hockey League thus celebrated the only shutout in the first round of the 2023/24 season of the win2day ICE Hockey League. But Justin Fazio also kept his box clean for Asiago in the first 20 minutes. Janos Hari then broke the scoring deadlock in the 29th minute to lead his team to victory. While Asiago could not score, Istvan Bartalis scored for Fehérvár as well as Janos Hari again, who ensured the decision and the 3:0 with an empty netter.

HC Pustertal also scored a commanding opening win. In its home game against the BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg, the South Tyroleans prevailed 3:1. After a goalless first period, Dante Hannoun put his team in the lead in overtime. Also in numerical superiority the Pioneers equalized in person of Oskar Maier at the beginning of the final period. The newcomers Mikael Frycklund and Alex Petan finally provided the decision.

win2day ICE Hockey League | 15.09.2023:

Moser Medical Graz99ers – spusu Vienna Capitals 2:3 (1:1,0:1,1:1)
Referees: RENCZ, TRILAR, Hribar, Muszik.
Goals G99: Antonitsch (5.), Schiechl (60.)
Goals VIC: Zusevics (6.), Cheek (28./sh1¸; 46.),

HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie – HCB Südtirol Alperia 5:1 (1:0,2:0,2:1)
Referees: BERNEKER, Huber A., Seewald, Wimmler.
Goals HCI: Mackin (2./pp1), Peeters (33.; 52.), Halbert (40.), Green (54./pp1)
Goals HCB: Ford (59.)

HK SZ Olimpija – Steinbach Black Wings Linz 2:3 OT (0:0,1:1,1:1)
Referees: NAGY, SOOS, Bärnthaler, Vaczi.
Goals HKO: Cepon (35.), Mehle (51.)
Goals BWL: Knott (24.), Feldner (47./PP1), Lebler (61.)

EC Red Bull Salzburg – EC-KAC 4:1 (1:0,2:0,1:1)
Referees: GROZNIK, NIKOLIC M., Eisl, Nothegger.
Goals RBS: Harnisch (14.), Genoway (27.), Auer (33.), Raffl (58./en).
Goals KAC: Bischofberger (57.)

Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey – Hydro Fehérvár AV19 0:3 (0:0,0:1,0:2)
Referees: REZEK, ZRNIC, Mantovani, Rigoni.
Goals AVS: Hari (29.;60./en), Bartalis (53.)

HC Pustertal Wölfe – BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg 3:1 (0:0,1:0,2:1)
Referees: SMETANA, STERNAT, Gatol-Schafranek, Puff.
Goals PUS: Hannoun (32./pp1), Frycklund (47.), Petan (60./en)
Goals PIV: Maier (46./pp1)